Abused Employees Win Irvine Slave Labor Lawsuit

Two consumer debt analysts who sued an Irvine business in 2011 for cheating them out of overtime pay have won their lawsuit.

This week, U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin ordered Consumer Affairs Processing Center, Inc. to pay more than $288,000 in due overtime pay plus lawyer fees and costs.

According to court records, plaintiffs David K. Poyet will receive $144,014 in overtime wages and Keith Foreman will get $33,480.

Poyet and Foreman alleged in their lawsuit that their employer violated labor laws by failing to pay overtime or minimum wages, failed to provide meal and rest periods, and ignored obligations to provide itemized wage statements.

They also alleged that debt analysts like themselves were paid "no wages except when customers purchased debt services" and were routinely required to work longer than eight hours a day and 40 hours a week.

Representatives of Consumer Affairs Processing Center did not respond to an amended complaint and so Olguin entered a default judgment against the company, which has an active license with the California Secretary of State.